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Most gene variants that have been labeled "pathogenic" may make only a small difference in a person's risk of actually developing disease, a new study suggests.

Scouring genetic data on more than 72,000 individuals,

Support from family and friends, along with exercise and sufficient sleep, have helped protect teens' mental health during the pandemic, new research shows.

The study also found that teen girls have been more likely than boys to suffer mental distress during the pandemic.

For the study, researchers analyzed data gathered from more than 3,000 participants, aged 11 to 14, in the

Sharing food and smooching are two ways babies can suss out whom they can depend on to take care for them, a new study suggests.

The tell-tale clue common to both is a surprising one: saliva.

"Babies don't know in advance which relationships are the close and morally obligating ones, so they have to have s...

It can happen so fast.

One moment, a family is eating dinner together like usual. Soon after, they go off to do other things before being brought back together by a child's scream.

That is what unfolded in the Beckman home in State College, Pa., one October evening three months ago. The youngest of the family's three children, 3-year-old Hazel, suffered a serious friction bur...

For several years, a leading U.S. pediatricians' group has called for middle and high schools to start later in the morning, to help these young people get the right amount of sleep.

Now, new research suggests that students aren't the only ones who benefit from later start times: Their parents also catch a break.

"Kids don't live in a vacuum. They live in a complex family system. In...

Give yourself and your loved ones the gifts of health and safety this holiday season, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests.

The agency outlines 12 ways to do that, beginning with a reminder that washing your hands with soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds helps prevent the spread of germs. That precaution is particularly important as the Omicron var...

When a child has severe health problems, the suffering often extends to the entire family, new research finds.

Using data from a single health insurance provider, the study authors assessed nearly 7,000 children with life-threatening conditions and their families, and compared them to a control group of more than 18,600 children without a life-threatening condition and their families.

Many parents want to make the holiday season magical for their kids, but for some the stress they feel trying to live up to that ideal may actually be doing the opposite.

A poll from Michigan Medicine found that about 1 in 5 parents said their ...

A holiday visit with older relatives might be a good chance to help them remove fall risks in their home, an expert suggests.

Older adults' risk of falling may have increased during the pandemic due to declines in physical activity and mobility, along with increased isolation, a University of Michigan poll shows. Many also became more fearful of falling, which, in turn, can increase the r...

When it comes to helping others and your health, it might be better to give than to receive, a new study suggests.

Researchers surveyed more than 1,000 Americans between 34 and 84 about their social involvement and how much they thought they could rely on their family, friends or a spouse if they needed help.

On a key measure of health -- chronic inflammation -- positive social rela...

A return to a more normal holiday season may also mean higher stress levels, so an expert offers some coping tips.

Don't get too focused on buying the perfect presents, making the best dinner or planning the perfect party. Try to be mindful of pleasant things and moments, suggested Jennifer Wegmann, a health and wellness studies lecturer at Binghamton University, State University of New Y...

As American families sit down to celebrate Thanksgiving, a majority of parents say they want to raise grateful kids but they don't think they're succeeding.

Four out of five respondents to a new nationwide poll said children aren't as thankful as they should be, and half worry that they overindulge their own kids. Two in five also said they're sometimes embarrassed by how selfish their ch...

Parents and children who were separated under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy have shown lasting psychological trauma -- even after being reunited, a new study finds.

Between 2017 and 2018, more than 5,000 children were separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border under the policy, which aimed to deter asylum seekers.

The practice was denounc...

Grandmothers can have a strong bond with the little children in their families -- and the connection even shows up on brain scans, researchers say.

The investigators embarked on a unique study, looking at the brains of older women -- not for signs of dysfunction, as with dementia, but to study their connections with their grandchildren.

"What really jumps out in the data is the acti...

For Emily Litvin, this Thanksgiving is going to look different from the last one and she couldn't be happier about it.

"I'm so excited to have some sort of normalcy, especially for my daughter and her cousins. It's nice for them to all get together and experience the traditions that we grew up with," said Litvin, a schoolteacher who lives near Columbus, Ohio. "We're so excited."

But...

Researchers have created a six-stage process to help families of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) deal with the disorder.

"This framework is family-centered, focused on breaking down the barriers that families face from before diagnosis to preparing children with ADHD for the future," said Dr. Andrea Spencer, director of the Reach for ADHD Research Program at ...

Preschoolers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) rarely receive the gold-standard treatment recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for their condition, a new study reports.

The AAP recommends a behavioral therapy technique called "parent training in behavior management," or PTBM, as first-line treatment for ADHD kids ages 4 and 5.

But only 1 of eve...

Bullying by a brother or sister in childhood can have lasting effects, threatening mental health in the teen years, new British research suggests.

Researchers found that mental health was affected whether one was the bully or the victim.

"Of particular note was the finding that even those who bullied their siblings, but weren't bullied themselves [i.e. the bullies] had poorer mental...

Eating well and exercising regularly can be a challenge for anyone. But for those with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities, that challenge is exponentially greater.

Many young men and women with autism and intellectual disabilities face a significantly higher risk for obesity, and all the health complications that follow.

Yet, a small, new pilot study suggests...

Seeing a parent abuse a sibling can be as traumatizing as watching a parent hurt another parent, a new study finds.

And it can lead to depression, anxiety and anger, researchers say.

"When we hear about exposure to family violence, we usually think about someone being the victim of direct physical abuse or witnessing spousal assault," said researcher Corinna Tucker. She is a profess...

Over the past year and a half, the coronavirus pandemic has remade so much of everyday life, including the foods families eat.

In many families, that's been a good thing, with half cooking at home more often and two-thirds making healthier food choices, according to a nationwide poll of U.S. parents. For about 20% of parents, many of whom said they felt stressed-out and busy, the pandemic...

Even when genetics and personality are working against you, having a strong network of supportive friends and family may help lower alcoholism risk, researchers say.

"Genes play an important role in alcohol use," stressed Jinni Su, an assistant professor of psychology at Arizona State University in Tempe, and lead author of a new study.

But "genes are not our destiny," she added.

Colon cancer risk runs in families, and it's not just a parent or sibling having had the disease that should concern you.

If you have a second- or third-degree relative who had colon cancer at an early age, your odds of having the disease substantially increase, a new study finds.

First-degree relatives include parents, children and siblings. Second-degree relatives include aunts, u...